In our house diet and nutrition are extremely important. Ever since I was young I have been drawn to natural healing and health, diet being the first step to prosperous health. My husband and I are vegetarians (he eats fish in addition once a week). I do eat dairy, but mostly the cultured or fermented forms (raw cheese and yogurt).

For milk I love either fresh hemp milk or almond milk. In the summer we will probably use some raw goats milk from a local lady. You can buy hemp and almond milk in aseptic containers on the shelf (not easily recyclable and not biodegradable), but they pale in comparison to fresh nut milk.

For some fertility issues staying away from milk (due to its congesting nature) may be helpful. You can get your calcium from dark greens, nuts, seeds and fresh nut milks.

Almond is my current favorite. I buy raw almonds locally at the farmers market (I am aware that I am very fortunate). We live in a Mediterranean climate and have an abundance of nuts (almonds and walnuts) that grow within 50 miles.

You can find almonds at any health food store in the bulk section (bring your own bag). Ideally raw and organic are your first choice (avoid the roasted/salted ones as they will have a ton of salt on them). Most almonds sold as raw in the US are actually pasteurized. You can order truly raw almonds online at Raw Food World.

Almond milk is very easy to make. Here is my recipe:

Almond Milk
1C. Almonds (soaked)
2T Honey, Agave, Maple Syrup or 3-4 dates (you choose)
4C water
1t vanilla extract
1 nut milk bag or hemp sprout bag or mesh strainer

1. Soak almonds for 4-8 hours in water. Strain and rinse almonds.

2. Put almonds, sweetener, 4C water and 1t vanilla in a blender. Blend for 2-3 minutes or until all almonds are pulverized.

3. Place the nut bag into a large jar or bowl. If you are using a strainer you will need a spoon to move the pulp around so it continues to strain.

My favorite is the hemp sprout bag as I can twist it and the milk comes out very easily.

4. Twist, squeeze and milk the milk out of the bag. You will know you are done once all that is left is dry almond meal (you can use this for face scrub or in muffin recipes).

5. Refrigerate in a glass jar or container for up to 4-5 days. Shake before each use.

I use this almond milk in my homemade granola, cafix drinks, smoothies, and drink it as a wonderful milk as well.